Lara, wouldn't be that another word for OCD? I read somewhere that one could be mentally "stuck" and that is OCD. In autism there is "repetitive behaviour" and physical tics like TS and mental tics like OCD. But if happens to be a NT grown up is called perseverance or persistence.
My son's autistic "repetitive behaviour" got worse with drugs becoming full blown OCD, right at this moment off drugs he is slowly "letting go".